1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electric lighting apparatus and more particularly, to such apparatus which includes a halogen light bulb therein, which bulb is disposed in a pan-like member that may be open and subject to having foreign objects placed thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electric lighting apparatus in the form of floor lamps and table lamps is well known. Such lamps generally take the form of a general area lighting device or, alternatively, a task lighting device. A general lighting apparatus is one which provides lighting for a predetermined area without particular concern for directing the light for reading, highlighting specific items such as paintings or the like or otherwise. On the other hand, task lighting focuses the light through the utilization of reflector members for a specific purpose such as reading, to highlight a given area to accent some item such as a sculpture, painting or the like. An example of task lighting structures are the well known pole lamps or track lighting structures.
The present invention is particularly directed to such lighting apparatus which utilizes general lighting as at least a portion thereof. Such apparatus may also include task lighting or alternatively, it may have no task lighting of any type. In recent history, a tremendous volume of general lighting-type lighting equipment, both with and without task lights, have been sold. A large number of such general lighting devices have incorporated as the illumination element thereof a halogen bulb. Such halogen bulbs in units having an open top design with the bulb facing upward have under certain circumstances generated hazardous conditions in that cloth which has inadvertently or purposefully been placed over has ignited causing fires.